As it nears the end of removing nearly 300,000 tons of used foundry sand from its Bettendorf riverfront operation, Sivyer Steel has entered into a consent order agreeing to stay in compliance with regulations that permit no more than a six-month accumulation of the waste material on site.
The agreement signed Oct. 7 concludes a five-year period of discussions between Sivyer and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) over the foundry sand, used in making molds for casting steel at the facility.
The company has been screening the sand and using it as fill in the "onion field" property along Hwy. 67, three miles east of the plant. The company is to use clean fill dirt to provide a 5-foot separation between the foundry sand and the disposal site groundwater, according to the IDNR.
"Additionally, Sivyer has invested in and implemented thermal sand reclamation at its facility to reduce sand quantities," according to the consent order.
No fines were assessed under the consent order. The company could have faced fines of up to $5,000 per day for violating the waste disposal regulations and a civil penalty of up to $10,000.
By the end of next year, the plant is to have no more than the amount of waste foundry sand stored on site than the estimated amount the facility produces in a six-month period. That amount has been estimated at 40,000 tons, according to the IDNR.
The amount of used foundry sand which had accumulated over the years along the riverfront was estimated at 295,000 tons (590 million pounds), the IDNR said.
CLICK HERE for photos of the foundry sand removal.
CLICK HERE to download the consent order.
